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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Ring in the new? with Kate Walker

Happy new year!

Is it too late to wish you all that? I don’t think so - but then I’ve never been one for celebrating the official

New Year very
much. After all, it’s really just a
change of a set of numbers – 2013 to
2014 - and not really actually that, seeing as the
dates of months and years are ones that
have been arbitrarily forced on to our lives in order to measure it.

And I’ve never really thought that the middle of a cold,
bleak winter(if you live on this side the world anyway) is the time for resolutions and to decide
to change your life – to get rid of the ‘old’ and bring in the ‘new’. Not totally sure that ‘new ‘ is always
better, really. But the whole ‘New Year’ thing does make me rather restless and
unsure, with all the celebrations, the fireworks, the resolutions. I feel I should
make resolutions – but I don’t. I quite
like the prospect of having new calendars, of writing in the dates of birthdays,
of things planned, into diaries - but that’s
because I love any excuse for new stationery! And I like to feel organised.

So when Lee suggested that I write my blog for the 12th
of every month this year, instead of the first Sunday of every month I was
really rather happy about it. Especially for this month’s post. It meant I didn’t
have to write a real ‘new year ‘ or a ‘resolution’ post. 2014 would be well
settled in before I was here chatting with you.

But I do have one small ceremony that the Babe Magnet and I carry
out as the ‘old’ year turns into the ‘new’. We each take 2 pieces of paper and
write down the things we disliked about
the past year – the days we’d rather not
remember - and on the other go
the days we’d never want to forget. Then
we burn the ‘bad’ ones in a red candle and light a fresh candle for the year to
begin – keeping tight hold of all the good memories.

That’s in my desk drawer as I write this blog. I
thought about sharing it with you but then, thinking about this old and ‘new’
thing – I thought I’d rather share some things I’m looking forward to - the good things coming up in 2014. So here
- well, here is the ‘In with the New’ in my world:

1. .

I have a new kitten- one of the bad things about 2013 was that
we lost our beautiful Maine Coon female to cancer. I didn’t think I was ready
for a new cat, but just before Christmas I was adopted by a little homeless
black and white 8 week old kitten. People think we adopted her – but she knows
different. Ruby – that’s here name – picked us. Very definitely. (If you want
to read the story of how she came into our lives – it’s over on my personal
bloghere.)

2 I have a new book coming out in June 2014 – that’s
A Question of Honour with a very sexy sheikh hero - Karin Al Khalifa - who is sent on an important mission that
demands he lives by his code of honour, only to find that meeting Clementina Saveneskitests that honour to the utmost.

3.This book has a rather more personal connection
with my own family than most of the others. I’ll be explaining and talking
about that in May.

4.I’m busy with a new book that I’m really
enjoying. After a difficult year for my writing in 2013 (guess what else was burned up in that
candle flame?) I’m back to enjoying so much more and I’m hoping to get this one
scheduled just as soon as I can. I also
have planes for a book that will be closely connected to A Question of Honour.Do you enjoy linked stories? I hope you do.

5.Oh – and while we’re talking about books – if you
missed the publication ofGood Greek
Wife? bac

k in2010, this book is being reissued as the lead
title in a 3 in 1 reprintEligible Greeks – Sizzling Affairs in April
this year.

6.At the moment, one of the things I’m most
looking forward to is the Advanced Romance Writing course that I shall be
running in Fishguard in Wales in February (always hoping that the violent
storms, high winds and torrential rains don’t prevent us getting there!) That one is already booked up but if I’m talking about ‘new’ things, then
there are two new courses I’ll be running -
Writing Romantic Fiction (May) and Before you submit your Novel - The Practicalities
(October). Both of these courses will be organised by Malaga Writing Workshops Relax and Write weekends. at a 4 star venue, Weetwood Hall, in
Leeds. I always enjoy running courses
and meeting other writers – so these will be great. I'll be posting details about these on my web site Events page just as soon as I get organised.

7.Oh yes – and thinking about teaching writing –
this year marks a while new beginning for the 12 Point

Guide to Writing
Romance. I’m going to be publishing this myself and making sure that it is more
easily available in ebook formats in the future. I need to tweak a couple of
sections to bring it right up to date – but the new edition will be ready just
as soon as I can manage it.

Well – I think that’s enough ‘new’ to be going on with! Unless
of course I mention the huge selection of new books I was given as Christmas
presents. One of my gifts to myself is going to be time to spend curled up in
an armchair, with one or other – or both
- of the cats on my lap as I read my way through the wonderful titles I
have to look forward to.

So yes, I’m looking forward to the new things coming
up. But I’m also going to be holding on
tight to some of the very precious ‘old’ things – there’s my DH for one thing,
my son and his lovely fiancee – and we still have Charlie the Maine Coon. The
Babe Magnet and I are still enjoying celebrating out Ruby wedding year (guess
where Ruby’s name comes from!) .

Oh, and come December I will be celebrating the 30th
anniversary of my very first book The Chalk Line

being published. I’m not sure if that’s an ‘old’
or a ‘new’ but look out for some special celebrations coming up.

Well, that’s my look ahead at 2014 – I hope you all have
some lovely things to look forward to in this New Year.

Do you have something new that you’re looking forward to? I’d love to know.

And once again – Happy 2014 to all of you. I hope it’s a
wonderful time, filled with happiness and joys so that when you reach this time
next year you have some wonderful memories to look back on.

2 comments:

I'm looking forward to my granddaughter getting her trach out in the spring, hopefully. She will turn 5 in March and she's had it for half her life, she's a very special little girl. I'm starting the new year with a goal of being more positive this year. This could be a hard one for me because I tend to expect the worst all the time, but I'm trying.

Linda - I feel for your poor little granddaughter, She must be, as you say, a very special little girl who has put up with problems in her short life. I hope she does get that trach out - my fingers are crossed for her - and for you. Because I'm sure that would help you keep to your goal of being more positive. Good Luck - and Happy New Year